Watch band



SePt- 30 1969 KAzuTAKA TABATA 3,469,749

WATCH BAND Filed Nov. 27. 1967 FG- 7 KAZUTAKA TABATA,

-I INVENTOR.

BY LQALM.M4PM

Unite States Patent 3,469,749 WATCH BAND Kazutaka Tabata, Tokyo, Japan, assigner to Kabushiki Kaisha Banbi, Tokyo, Japan Filed Nov. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 685,819 Claims priority, application 3apan, Dee. 10, 1966, 41/ 112,694 Int. Cl. A44c 5/00 U.S. Cl. 224-4 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DTSCLOSURE A three-layer watch band comprising upper and lower band strips interjoined by an intermediate fusible strip interposed therebetween. The adjoining of the layers is only along the internal marginal edges where they are fused together when disposed upon a recessed strap forming mould and subjected to the application of heat and pressure from a combined heat-fusingand-cutting blade having a predetermined strap outline configuration with a hollow center. An open loop is formed at one end of the band for the insertion therethrough of a watch-attaching pin or spring rod. The layers of the strap are notably spaced generally parallel to one another except along the smooth rounded joining edges of the margins thereof, thereby providing a pleasant cushion feed to the strap.

The present invention relates to a watch band comprising two band strips of natural and/or synthetic leather overlying one upon another and a fusible strip members extending the entire areas of -said band strips, said fusible strip member being interposed between said two strips of leather, with the peripheral edges of these band strips being conjugated and adhesively united or welded together by the application of heat to said fusable strip member.

Among the conventional watch bands made of natural and/or synthetic leather, those made with a pair of band strips bonded together with a chemical adhesive applied to the entire areas of the opposing faces of the band strips were defective in that the adhesive agent oozed out from the lateral peripheral edges and irritated the skin of the users and often caused rash. The number of people who are allergic and sensitive to certain chemicals or drugs have been increasing due to our ever-changing living patterns. As a result, such disease as stated above has become one of the social problems that require attention.

As a means to solve the problem of skin disease caused by the adhesive contained in watch bands, there has been made a proposal to use a pair of band `strips which are fused or bonded together by the application of heat without the use of such adhesive. Such prior art used two band strips made of, for example, nylon, which are placed one upon another and then the pair is fused by the application of heat. However, this technique of the prior art has been limited only to such synthetic band strips as can be fused together by the application of heat. Accordingly, this prior method could not be applied to natural leathers such as crocodile skin, lizard skin and oxhide, or to such leathers or materials as would not be used by the application of heat.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel watch band made of a pair of overlying natural or synthetic band strips of, for example, leather form and having a thermo-fusible strip member sandwiched therebetween, said fusible strip member being of such property as can be positively fused to any band strips irrespective of whether they are natural leather or synthetic leather and can completely make the use of any adhesive agent containing chemical compounds unnecessary, and to thereby prevent the development of skin disease due to Contact of the skin with the adhesive agent used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel watch band which is of beautiful finish and bears no facial deformation of the conjugated upper and lower band strips, by virtue of the fact that, when said pair of band strips is fused together, only the strip of fusible member is welded, by heat, to the overlying band strips without damaging the band strips in the least.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a watch band which gives the user a pleasant touch by the interposition of a fusible strip member having a slightly oval transverse cross section, or by the interposition of a plurality of fusible fiat strip members, between the upper and the lower band strips.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a watch band which bears no irregular peripheral edges or conjugated fin which would hurt the skin of the user, but, instead, the peripheral edges have a rounded finish because the upper and the lower band strips are conjugated together along the peripheries by the use of a welding-cutting blade which is adapted to perform welding and cutting simultaneously.

Gther features and advantages of the watch band of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the completed watch band of the present invention equipped with a leather ring for receiving a free end of the band and also with a metal fitting;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of one part of the watch band with the component members being separated from each other in the stage prior to being conjugated and fused together, in which a synthetic fusible strip member is seen interposed between the upper and the lower band strips;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of another embodiment of the watch band in which the upper and the lower band strips are in the form of being separated from each other;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the watch band of the present invention, showing in particular the hole-shaped folded end portion where a connecting metal fitting is attached therethrough;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the similar portion, but this arrangement is one corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 3 where the separate upper band strip is folded to extend an appropriate distance beneath the lower band strip;

FIG. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation showing the manner in which the upper and the lower band strips are conjugated together and washed, by a press mold having a welding-cutting blade, to a fusible strip member which is sandwiched therebetween;

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross sectional view of the finished watch band, showing that the intermediate portion of the fusable strip member is not fused to any of the upper and the lower band strips;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one of the press mold of the type described for use in conjugating and welding the upper and the lower band strips together, with a fusable strip member interposed therebetween.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the watch band of the present invention which comprises a continuous upper band strip 1 and lower band strip 1 which are formed by `folding a single continuous piece of natural leather or synthetic leather, and also a fusable member 2 in the form of a strip having a configuration and size corresponding to the `band strips and made of a material such as polyamide (nylon) or polyvinyl chloride which can be melted by the application of heat and which thereby gains adhesiveness, said fusible strip member being interposed between the upper and the lower band strips. Or alternatively, the upper band strip 1 may be one which is not continuous with the lower band strip 1 and which is separate from the lower band strip 1' as shown in FIG. 3. In this instance, the upper band strip 1 is given a length greater than that of the lower band strip 1 to an extent suliicient for being folded to extend an appropriate distance beneath the lower leather strip 1 as yshown in FIG. 5. A fusible member 2, in this instance, is interposed, in the same manner as has been described above, between the separate upper and lower band strips in the portions of their free ends (FIG.

The upper band strip 1 and the lower band strip 1' having a fusible strip member 2 interposed therebetween are then subjected to heat-press along the peripheral edges of the strips of band so that only the edge portion of the interposed fusible strip member 2 is melted and fused to the internal surfaces along the peripheral portions of the opposing upper and lower band strips and simultaneously the combination is cut along the peripheral edges. The intermediate portion of the yfusible member `other than the peripheral portion is not Ifused to the band strips and, accordingly, there are provided spaces between the two band strips throughout other than the peripheral edges.

The heat-pressing and cutting of the aforesaid assembly consisting of the pair of band strips and the fusible strip member along the peripheral edge portions thereof is effected by placing this assembly on a mold plate 8 which may have an opening 7 or recess coresponding in configuration to the plan configuration of the watch bands between which the fusible strip member is to be inserted. Then, said assembly is conjugated and fused together and cut along the peripheral edges so as to have a cross section as shown in FIG. 7. The watch band thus formed has intermediate surfaces which are not welded or conjugated together lby the fusible strip member. The resulting arrangement of the band strips and the fusible strip .member is such that the upper and the lower band strips appear as if they encompass the interposed fusing member along the peripheral edges, with the intermediate portion being of a slightly plump or full cross section which gives a pleasant and cushioned touch to the user, and the peripheral edges of the conjugated band strips are of substantially rounded appearance as shown in FIG. 7, because welding and cutting are performed simultaneously with the same blade.

In order to have a more positive plump shape to the intermediate portion of the conjugated strips of band, the fusible strip member 2 may have a cross section wherein the intermediate portion is of a greater width than the edges, like a flattened oval shape when exaggeratedly expressed. Or alternatively, another additional lfusible .member may be used to attain this end.

The opening 4 at the end portion of the band for insertion of a spring rod or retaining pin is formed, usually, by leaving the longitudinal end portion of the upper and lower strips of band un-welded or un-conjugated together as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 5 shows an instance where the longitudinal end portion of the upper band strip 1 which is separate from the lower band strip 1 is folded so as to extend an appropriate distance beneath the lower band strip 1. In this instance, the internal surface of the free end portion 5 of the upper band strip adjacent to the folded end portion is given a lesser thickness not to form a shoulder which would irritate `or hurt the skin of the user, said internal surface of the free end portion 5 being lined with a fusible strip and fused thereto by the application of heat and pressure.

As is clear from the foregoing description, the watch band of the present invention is formed -with an upper band strip 1 and a lower band strip l which are conjugated and adhesively united together by a fusible strip member 2 which is interposed therebetween. Therefore, any kind of band strips may be freely selected for being conjugated or united together, as desired. Also, a very firm uniting is obtained by the use of such a fusable member as has been described. In adition, the peripheral edges of the united band strips are given rounded, smooth and neat configuration without the formation of irregular conjugating fin by carrying out simultaneous fusing and cutting with a welding-cutting blade. The watch band of the present invention is of further advantages that it eliminates the occurrence of skin rash due to contact of skin with chemical adhesives which were used in conventional watch bands and that, therefore, the -watch band of the present invention is desirous also from the viewpoint of health.

Moreover, conventional watch bands using adhesive agents were of poor waterproofness, and therefore, the upper and the lower band strips tended to become parted from each other when they were contacted by water such as when exposed to rain. However, the watch band of the present invention exhibits almost perfect durability even when subjected to contact with water.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved multiple layer watch band or strap comprising three layers of material and having a loop formed end to receive a watch-attaching pin therethrough, said strap improvement being characterized by:

(a) two of said layers lbeing an upper band strip and a lower baud strip of natural or synthetic leatherlike material,

(b) the third intermediate layer being a thermo-fusible band or strip of polyamide or polyvinyl chloride material and interposed between said upper and lower band strips, said fusible strip acquiring its adhesive character responsive to the application of heat thereto;

(c) said three layers being fusedly joined together only along the internal peripheral or marginal edge portions -when disposed upon a recessed strap-forming mould and subjected to the application of heat and pressure from a combined heat-fusing-and-cut-ting blade having a predetermined strap outline configuration with hollow center;

(d) said three layers being disposed in their finished condition such that the edges have a smooth rounded appearance and said third intermediate layer is substantially unbowed and fiat and the upper and lower strip layers are vin oppositely and notably spaced in generally parallel disposition from said third intermediate layer throughout substantially the full transverse width thereof to provide a pleasant cushioned effect.

2. A watch band or strap as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper and lower layers are separated from said fiat intermediate layer by pockets of air trapped therebetween, and said upper and lower layers are generally spaced parallel to said intermediate layer, except at the marginally joined edges, throughout substantially the full longitudinal length thereof.

3. A watch band or strap as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper and lower band strips are formed of a single piece of strip material folded over to form said end loop.

4. A watch band or strap as defined in claim 3 wherein the intermediate layer is ex-tended near the loop end and is formed in single thickness within to constitute a lining for said loop.

5. A watch band or strap as defined in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal marginal edges of the upper and lower band strips adjacent the ends having the loop are unfused, and the internal surface of the loop is lined with an extended end portion of the intermediate fusible layer.

v6. A watch band as defined in claim 1 wherein the loop end of the band is of a thickness reduced from that of the rest of the `band so as to provide as small as possible shoulder portion of the loop which will not annoy or irritate the user of said watch band.

7. A watch band or strap as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper layer has an extended portion and is slightly longer than and overlays the lower layer at the loop end of the strap, said extended portion of the upper layer being folded over to form said loop and being attached to the lower layer.

8. A watch band as dened in claim 7 wherein the internal surface of the loop is lined with an extended portion of the intermediate fusible layer.

9. A watch band as defined in claim 8 wherein the thickness of the material constituting the loop is of a thickness notably reduced from that of the balance of the band in order to facilitate the forming of a relatively small diameter loop which will not annoy or irritate the user of said watch band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,266,953 12/ 1941 =Blue v 224-4 3,362,595 1/1968 Herzog 224-4 3,396,884 8/1968 Herzog 224-4 2,153,351 4/ 1939 Steinberger.

FOREIGN PATENTS 28,829 6/1957 Finland. 1,069,229 2/ 1954 France.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner P01050 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 469. 749 Dated September 30, V1969 Kazutaka Tabata Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- The name of the Assignee should be KABUSHIKI KAISHA BAIL/IBI not BAQBI SIGNED ANU SEALED JuL211970 ISEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir. WIMIAM E. Sum, m.

-Commissimuar of Patents nesting Officer 

